Saturday, July 25, 2009

I meant to do this post a few weeks ago, when everything in the garden was at it's peak loveliness. It's still looking great, but some of the plants have begun their slow decline. This shot is from our perennial garden out front. You can click here to see the "2009 Garden~Before" shot. It certainly has come quite a way.{Globe Thistle}{Coneflowers}DH found these flower boxes in the trash & brought them home. I painted them & now they're happily decorating our front porch. There was only slim pickings at the garden center by the time I filled them a few weeks ago. But, I managed to find some Bacopa, Geraniums & Verbena.{Bacopa}We replaced a large, overgrown Forsythia in our front yard with some new perennials.{Petunias}Ferns.{Begonia, Diamond Frost Euphorbia & Lobelia}I planted the Diamond Frost last year for the first time. It flowers over & over, with no fuss. I planted several pots of it again this year & love it.Our tomato plants. The cherry tomatoes are finally starting to ripen...can't wait!{Verbena}I used to be Petunia crazy, but now I'm Verbena crazy. Like Petunias, this variety is great for containers, because it trails. But, it stays healthy longer & doesn't get leggy as quickly.And finally, our first summer harvest. Small, but amazing.I must note that anything I've learned about gardening in recent years {because I am still a novice}, is from my sister, Lauren. She's my go-to gardening resource.My backup is the book, Northeastern Garden, which she bought me a few years ago.